Railroad-crossing.



E. W. DWIGHT.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED JAIN. 1909.

914,025. Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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E. W. DWIGHT.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED JAILB. 1909.

914 025, Patented Mar.2, 1909.

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E. W. DWIGHT.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 8. 1909.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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l I l I l n I l F l l ll EDMUND WATERMAN DWIGHT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Application filed January 8, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Serial No. 471,237.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND WATERMAN Dwienr, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Crossings, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

lily invention relates to means, movable by car wheels, to automatically form temporarily continuous rail treads at railroad crossings.

As hereinafter described, my invention comprises. pairs of vertically movable rail filling blocks; each pair supported upon a centrally fulcrumed lever so that when one of the p air is depressed by the flange of a car wheel, the other is uplifted to fill the gap in the rail tread, which normally affords a passage for the fianges of wheels'traversing the crossing track.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the drawings; Figure I, is a plan view of a railroad crossing conveniently embodying y invention, where each track may be traversed in but one direction, indicated by the arrows. Fig. II, is a perspective view of one of the four similar automatic units shown in Fig. I, each including one pair of alternately reciprocatory rail filling blocks. Fig. III, is a plan view of a railroad crossing similar to Fig. I, but embodying a modified form of my invention, where each track may be traversed in either direction. Fig. IV, is a plan view of one of the four similar automatic units shown in Fig. III; each includ ing two pairs of reciprocatory rail filling blocks. Fig. V, is a plan view of the base plate shown in Fig. IV. Fig. VI, is a verti cal sectional view, taken diagonally on the line VI, VI, in Fig. IV, showing the relative position of the adjacent blocks. Fig. VII, is a perspective view of the casing shown in Fig. IV, arranged to be detachably mounted on said base plate. Fig. VIII, is a perspectivc view of one of the rail filling blocks arranged to be mounted for vertical reciprocation in said casing, in operative relation with a rail gap.

In said figures one track comprises the tread rails 1 and 2, and their respective guard rails 3 and 4, and the other crossing track, comprises the tread rails 8 and 9, and their respective guard rails 10 and 11.

As shown in Fig. I the crossing is provided with four units respectively mounted local to the four corners of the crossing, and as said units are counterpart, the detailed description will be limited to the unit shown at the intersection of the rails 1 and 8.

The pair of filling blocks 14 and 15, being arranged to alternately fill the gaps in the respective tread trails 1 and 8, are mounted between the heads of said rails and their respective guard rails 3 and 10, and are respectively connected with the reciprocatory plungers 18 and 19. Said plungers are arranged to reciprocate vertically in respective sockets 23 aad 24, in the casing 27. Said casing being supported by the base plate 29, is maintained stationary thereon by the lugs 30, depending from said easing into the re cesses 31, in said base plate. The lever 35, which is pivoted centrally upon the fulcrum lug 36, on said base plate 29, is revented from accidental displacement by t 1e lateral abutments 42, on said plate.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. III to VIII inclusive, thecornerunitdevices are each arranged to present two pairs of filling blocks to fill the gaps in the tread rails in accordance with the traverse of the car wheels over said rails in either direction.

As shown in Figs. III, IV, and VI, the filling blocks 45, 46, 47 and 48, are mounted between the heads of the tread rails 1 and 8, and their respective guard rails 3 and 10, and are respectively rigidly connected with the reciprocatory plungers 50, 51, 52 and 53. Said plungers are arranged to reciprocate vertically in respective sockets 55, 56, 57 and 58, in the casing 60. Said casing being supported by the base plate 62, is maintained stationary thereon by the lugs 63, depending from said easing into the recesses 64, in said plate 62, shown in Fig. V.

As shown in Figs. IV and VI the levers 68, 69, and 71, which are respectively pivoted centrally upon fulcrum lugs 75, on the base plate 62, are prevented from displacement by the lateral abutments 76, on said plate. Said levers are arranged diagonally with respect to the rails, and each supports the adjacent rail filling blocks aforesaid, so that when one block is depressed by the flange 80, of the wheel traversing the rail 1,

i the adjacent block is uplifted to form a con tinuous rail for the wheel tread 81 as best shown in Fig. VI.

In order that the filling blocks may be renewed when worn, I find it convenient to detachably engage each block in rigid relation with its plunger, for instance, by a dovetail connection as shown in Fig. VIII. Said plungers have recesses 83, arranged to re ceive their levers, as shown in Figs. VI and VIII, but rest on the rounded extremities of said levers, indicated in Fig. IV. In order to prevent accidental displacement of said plungers, each is provided with a recess 85, (see Fig. VIII) limiting its movement with respect to a set screw 86, projecting therein from the casing, as indicated in Fig. IV

The inner base flanges of the intersecting tread rails, and the adjacent base flanges of their guard rails, are recessed to receive the casings 27 and 60, as shown respectively in Figs. I and III, said casings being retained in proper alinement with respect to the rail heads, by the engagement of their walls with said recessed base flanges of the rails.

Assuming that a car wheel is traversing the rail in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. III; the wheel flange 80 indicated in Fig. VI, will engage and depress the block 46, whereby the levers 68 and 69, are tilted to uplift the blocks 45 and 4C7; the block 45, thus temporarily filling the gap in the rail 1, to afford a continuous rail head supporting the tread 81, of said wheel, and the block 47, contemporaneously filling the gap in the guard rail 3, and thus affording a continuous guard for said tread rail 1. It is to be under stood that such depression of any one of the filling blocks thus effects the uplifting of the blocks adjacent thereto, and thus, temporarily affords continuous tread rails and con tinuous guard rails, for the passage of the car wheels, as the result of the automatic operation of the devices described, Without manual movement or control.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement above described, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a railroad crossing, the combination with vertically reciprocatory rail filling blocks in registry with gaps in the crossing rails; of means operatively connecting said blocks; whereby, the flange of a wheel traversing a rail of said crossing and depressing one of said blocks, raises another block and affords therewith a temporarily continuous rail for said wheel. 7

2. In a railroad crossing, the combination with vertically reciprocatory rail filling blocks in registry with gaps in the crossing rails; of means operatively connecting said blocks in pairs, comprising a lever fulcrumed between them; whereby, the flange of a Wheel traversing a rail of said crossing and depressing one of said blocks raises another block and affords therewith a temporarily continuous rail for said wheel.

3. In a railroad crossing, the combination with vertically reci rocatory rail filling blocks in registry wit gaps in the crossing rails; of means operatively connecting said blocks comprising a lever fulcrumed between them, on an axis radial to the center of said crossing; whereby, the flange of a wheel traversing a rail of said crossing and depress ing one of said blocks, raises another block and aflords therewith a temporarily continuous rail for said Wheel.

4. In a railroad crossing, the combination with vertically reciprocatory rail filling blocks in registry with gaps in the crossing rails; f means reciprocally operatively connecting said blocks in groups of four; whereby, the flange of a wheel traversing a rail of said crossing and depressing one of said blocks, contemporaneously raises two other blocks, and afl'ords therewith temporarily continuous tread and guard rails for said wheel.

7 5. In a railroad crossing, the combination with vertically reciprocatory rail filling blocks in registry with gaps in the crossing rails; of means, comprising groups of four levers, reciprocally operatively connecting said blocks in groups or four whereby, the flange of a wheel traversing a rail of said crossing and depressing one of said blocks, contemporaneously raises two other blocks and afiords therewith temporarily continuous tread and guard rails for said wheel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Phiiadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 5th day of January 1909.

EDMUND WATERMAN DWIGHT.

Witnesses:

WM. T. DUNNING, J. FRED DE HART. 

